Self-reported hearing loss and health during a pandemic: Findings from a cross-sectional analysis using a 2021 household survey.
Eunice Y Park, Erin R Nelson-Bakkum, Amy A Schultz and 1 others
PMID 39266396WHAT IT FOUND
Adults in Wisconsin who reported hearing loss had significantly higher rates of depression, anxiety, and fair or poor general health during the pandemic compared to those without hearing loss.
This association persisted after adjusting for age, gender, and race.
Key findings
01Individuals with self-reported hearing loss had a significantly higher prevalence of depressive symptoms (adjusted prevalence ratio 1.21) and anxiety symptoms (adjusted prevalence ratio 1.13) compared to those without hearing loss.
02Individuals with self-reported hearing loss were more than twice as likely to report fair or poor general health (adjusted prevalence ratio 2.53) compared to those without hearing loss.
03Hearing loss was associated with severe symptoms of depression (adjusted prevalence ratio 2.59) but not severe anxiety symptoms in sensitivity analyses.
STILL TO COME
How it was doneWhat they foundWhat it means for SLPs
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What it does not show
The study is cross-sectional, so it cannot determine whether hearing loss caused the health issues or if other factors influenced both. Hearing status was self-reported rather than measured by audiometry, which may lead to misclassification. Data on hearing aid use and effectiveness were not available, so the study could not assess if aids mitigated the associations. The sample was limited to Wisconsin adults, which may not represent the broader US population. Participants who responded to the survey may have had better social support and internet access than non-responders, potentially biasing results toward the null.
Declared interests
The authors declared no competing financial or nonfinancial interests.
The easy way to misread this
Do not interpret the associations as causal. The study shows that people with hearing loss reported more mental health issues, but because it is cross-sectional, it cannot prove that hearing loss caused these outcomes. Other factors, such as social isolation or pre-existing conditions, may explain the link.